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T&T twist in Antigua election victory

There was a definite touch of T&T in the campaign for the recently concluded Antigua and Barbuda general elections, as the campaign jingle for the victorious Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) was produced by Trinidadian Randal Alexander of PengCo Music.

Alexander was commissioned to produce the Freedom Day Anthem. In a release, he said the ABLP wanted a song “voters could catch on to easily and that had a mix of victory and fun in it.”

The Freedom Day Anthem featured Dil-E-Nadan vocalist Esther Dyer and Orange Sky’s Nigel Rojas. Dyer immediately became included on the cast of artistes billed to perform at the ABLP’s final rally alongside such acts as Luciano, IOctane and Demarco.

The jingle was also used for a television advert which meant that Alexander spent several days working in Antigua and experiencing the vibe of the campaign.

“One minute I was in Trinidad and the next, I was filming shots with my crew in Antigua. We spent a couple sleepless nights but we worked our butts off and we got the job done,” said Alexander.

So when the result was announced following the election, Alexander said he wasn’t too surprised. “We weren’t responsible for the party’s win. I’d never say that, but we sure did put the icing on the cake,” he said.

Alexander said he believed by voting in their youngest ever leader, the generation gap that exists in Antigua and Barbuda can be more easily overcome.

“The generation gap is a real thing and it is a hindrance to progress. While the elders may be wiser and know how to get things done, the youths have the muscle. Because of Mr Brown’s age of 47, he may be more inclined to invest in technology, tertiary education and the arts.”

Alexander is buoyed by his recent success and is readying his team for the projects that will undoubtedly come.

“We’ve already been getting calls from agencies regarding similar projects and we’re ready. I’ve done several corporate jingles for companies such as NLCB, Magnum Tonic Wine and Ferreira Optical, among others, and I think my strong point is being able to bridge the gap between the corporate sector and the common man,” said Alexander.

He said there’s a way of delivering the objectives and desires of the corporate companies, via jingles, that the man on the street would easily understand.

To find out more about Randal Alexander and PengCo Music, e-mail pengconcepts@gmail.com for further information.